Playing Stephen Milne helped no one

"Get fucked rapist!" That was the pre-bounce scream from the stands that set the tone for this miserable match, where a player who shouldn't have been playing was booed every time he touched the ball. What were the Saints thinking? What was the AFL thinking? Neither can get their story straight. When Stephen Milne was charged with rape on 18 June, his club announced he was "taking a leave of absence". That later became a three-week "club-imposed suspension", and the AFL threw its support behind Milne playing again, warning crowds that "contingency plans" were in place to stop him being abused.

Those plans crumbled, and so did any sense the AFL had learned how to handle situations such as this. Milne is innocent unless proven guilty, and he denies the charges against him, but then why did Saints suspend him but ditch completely another Saint, Andrew Lovett, who found himself in the same circumstances (Lovett was later acquitted of all charges)? Why not pay Milne, but not play him? The Australian Olympics team suspend players on serious charges, and the AFL should do the same to avoid ugly scenes such as this if the clubs don't have the sense. Instead, they're climbing into this clown car as well.

It's a bad look to have your own Respect and Responsibility programme consultants slating your attitude towards alleged victims. But it's an even worse look to have a stadium full of thousands of people chanting "rapist". Putting Milne in the pillory isn't doing anyone any good – not even him.

Like many Richmond experiments, the concept of playing 'home games' in tropical heat hasn't been kind to the Tigers, and the humid and windy conditions (how is that even possible?) have been a skills graveyard. Still, it was a win. Adding 'against the Suns' would diminish the effort for another team, but for the Tigers it means an exorcism has taken place, or at least some green vomit cleaned up. Gold Coast have been their bogie team, and this wobbly win has set things right after last week's bad beat by the Kangaroos.

Gunston is a Hawks' gun

It's easy to get overshone at Hawthorn. Against the sputtering Power, commentators managed to compare Cyril Rioli to Michael Jordan and Harry Houdini in one 10-second passage of play. Sam Mitchell might be heading to a best-and-fairest hat-trick, and Jarryd Roughead is leading the Coleman Medal tally.

But press that little '%' sign on that Coleman leaderboard and you'll see why the Hawks beat their opposition so badly. Hawthorn have the top three players by percentage – Shane Savage, Shaun Burgoyne and Jack Gunston, who is blazing on 27.6. He was destructive alongside Roughead against Port Adelaide, kicking five, and has the skill to fill a Buddy-sized hole if the rumours are true for next year. There aren't many players you can say that about – not even Michael Jordan.

By Jobe, they've done it

"...up to his critics" is one of the auto-completes if you type "Brent Stanton" into Google. (So is 'daytime emmys' but that's probably someone else). Say what you like about Stanton but he was up to his critics on the weekend, replacing the injured Brownlow medallist Jobe Watson, and fending off a Bulldogs team redlining their play in the process.

The cliche that this game was closer than the scoreboard suggested got a serious work-out (it would have rocketed to the top of any cliche scoreboard), but there were always doubts about the Bulldogs' ability to kick more than 100 points. They've only managed it three times this year. Still, the Bombers managed to hang on, and only need to hang on for another month before Watson is back in time for the finals.

North could do with a Majak touch

The Brisbane Lions specialise in thrilling last quarter comebacks. North Melbourne specialise in spilling match-winning leads at the death. Sure enough an unstoppable force met a movable force, and the Kangaroos made another addition to Brad Scott's stomach ulcer collection. They butchered a 33-point lead this time, and while the Lions are fast finishers, they're not high-fliers like the other sides North let rob the till.

Scott mentioned physical injuries this time, but it's the mental scars that seem to be doing the damage, as well the way the tiring Roos open up to counter-attacks from stoppages. Todd Goldstein has his work cut out, but there could be a reinforcement on the way. Majak Daw picked up 50 hit outs and 20 possessions in the VFL, and it looks like his time on probation may be coming to an end. Let's see if he can get his team-mates out of purgatory.

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